Mississippi Kindergarten Guidelines

Mississippi Kindergarten Guidelines

Lynn J. House, Ph.D., Interim State Superintendent of Education Trecina Green, Associate Superintendent Office of Instructional Enhancement Nathan Oakley, Bureau Director Office of Curriculum and Instruction Revised Edition, 2012

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Mississippi Department of Education Office of Curriculum and Instruction

359 North West Street P. O. Box 771

Jackson, MS 39205-0771 Phone: (601) 359-2586 Fax: (601) 359-2040



The Mississippi State Board of Education, the Mississippi Department of Education, the Mississippi School for the Arts, the Mississippi School for the Blind, the Mississippi School for the Deaf, and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability in the provision of educational programs and services or employment opportunities and benefits. The following office has been designated to handle inquiries and complaints regarding the non-discrimination policies of the above mentioned entities:

Director, Office of Human Resources Mississippi Department of Education

359 North West Street P. O. Box 771, Suite 203 Jackson, MS 39205-0771

(601) 359-3511

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS (1998)

Boutwell, Lydia Bramlitt, Jamie Buckley, Connie Cunetto, Tricia Deen, Mary Kay Eady, Mildred Egley, Esther Howard Gibbs, Anjohnette Grace, Cathy Harness, Mary Hickman, Rita Johnston, Beverly Leigh, Cindy Miller, Bitsy Brown Murphy, Georgia Peterson, Amy Robinson, Capucine Torrey Sidney, Barbara Singleton, Barbara Sowell, Kaye Spearman, Martha Stewart, Cathy Thompson, Judith Tickner, Jennifer Watson, Barbara Wilkinson, Julie

Meridian Public School District New Albany School District Lawrence County School District Starkville School District Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District Clinton Public School District Mississippi State University Headstart Family Resource Center Jefferson County School District Rankin County School District Madison County School District University of Mississippi Hattiesburg Public School District Jackson Public School District Jackson County School District Jackson Public School District Amite County School District Harrison County School District Rankin County School District Booneville School District Lafayette County School District Oxford School District Madison County School District George County School District Franklin County School District

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS (2012)

Henry Arledge

Harrison County School District

Kenitra Barnes, Ph.D.

Pass Christian School District

Kenecha Brooks Smith

University of Mississippi, Mississippi Building Blocks Mississippi Center for Education and Innovation

Nadine Coleman

Petal School District Center for Families and Children

Michael Cormack

Quitman County School District

Lynn Darling, Ph.D.

Mississippi State University

Winona Dykes

Mississippi Early Childhood Center

Joyce Greer

Mississippi Center for Education and Innovation

Leigh Ann Henderson

Tupelo Public School District

Penny Howle

South Delta School District

Beverly Johnston

Madison County School District

Annjo Lemons

State Early Childhood Advisory Council

Cynthia Parks

New Albany School District

Capucine Robinson, Ph.D. Madison County School District

Diane Setzer

Jackson Public School District

Holly Spivey

Head Start Collaboration Office

Nita Thompson

Mississippi Head Start Association

Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D. University of Mississippi, Mississippi Building Blocks

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Kindergarten Philosophy and Goals

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Learning Principles

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Section I. Requirements for Enrollment of Children in Public Schools

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A. Entrance Age

1. Required Age

2. Required Documentation

3. [MS Code 37-15-9] Requirements for Enrollment

B. Compulsory-School-Age and Withdrawal

Section II. Physical Settings and Outside Play

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A. Physical Settings

1. Guidelines for New and Existing Structures

2. Additional Guidelines for New Structures

B. Outside Play Area

1. Guidelines for Designated Play Areas

2. Guidelines for Protection from Hazards

Section III. Organizational Procedures and Staff

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A. Organization

1. Required Ratio

2. Recommended Ratio

3. Required Length of School Day and Term

4. Required Physical Activity Time

5. Required Quiet Time

B. Staff

1. Required Licensure for Teachers

2. Requirement for Assistant Teachers

3. Professional Development for Staff

Section IV. Curriculum, Materials, and Assessment

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A. Curriculum

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1. Instructional Day

2. Learning Centers

B. Educational Materials

1. Required Cost for New Classrooms

2. Required Cost for Materials

3. Recommended Cost for New Classrooms

4. Recommended Cost for Materials

C. Assessment

1. Standardized Testing

2. Documentation

3. Needs Assessments

Section V. Parent Participation

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1. Required Handbook

2. Recommended Parent Conferences

Section VI. Transportation

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This manual has been prepared for use by administrators, counselors, teachers, and other authorized staff in the schools of Mississippi and is to be used as a guide for the operation of kindergarten programs.

Kindergarten Philosophy and Goals The kindergarten program shall reflect an understanding of child development principles. These principles shall be embodied in the curriculum design and general learning environment. The instructional delivery is to be organized around learning centers where opportunities are provided for children to acquire skills and concepts that include problem-solving, decision-making, questioning, evaluating, and discovering. The realistic goals for kindergarten education are as follows:

1. Develop a positive self-concept. 2. Achieve intellectual growth. 3. Enlarge student's world of people, experiences, ideas, and things. 4. Increase competence and skills in reading, writing, listening, thinking, and

speaking. 5. Increase the skills involved in physical coordination. 6. Increase competence in dealing with emotional feelings and social situations. 7. Increase competence in self-direction and independence. 8. Develop cooperative trusting relationships. 9. Develop natural curiosity and creative potential.

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Learning Principles Effective educational planning for young children takes into account knowledge of human growth and development. The learning principles that guide this planning include the following:

1. Children learn as total persons (emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually).

2. Children go through similar stages of development, but at individual rates. 3. Children learn through their senses (hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and

smelling). 4. Children learn through active involvement (exploring, playing, manipulating, and

problem-solving). 5. Children learn through attitudes as well as through content; therefore, attention

should be given to methods, emotional climate, environment, and teacher-child interaction. 6. Children learn through play; therefore, sensitivity to the value of play is required, for it is through play that children create their own meaning and learning schemes. Play is the work of the child.

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